We are excited to report on three exciting Books@Work developments that allow us to reach new audiences, deepen our engagement with the communities in which participants live, offer new ways for readers to reflect on texts and build relationships with one another, and build momentum toward transformational change across entire institutions.
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Often lost in the conversation about what tools, systems and approaches to adopt in order to achieve particular outcomes is the experience of the individual being served. The voice of the beneficiary is a very valuable gauge of a program’s impact. By interviewing participants in Books@Work programs, we learn so much about the impact of the seminar experience, both for individuals and for groups.
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In response to an article about how CEOs can deepen their perspectives by reading philosophy, we argue that a class of “Philosopher Kings” is not enough. Executives who are serious about thinking deeply and learning from philosophical texts can broaden their outlook — and potentially their results — by including the sentries at the table.
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This week we begin two new Books@Work programs for Chautauqua’s employees, partnering with a wonderful group of faculty from Fredonia (SUNY). We are excited about the beginning of this partnership — one that we hope to strengthen through collaboration on Chautauqua’s exploration of 21st century literacies this summer, and in many other ways in the years to come.
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Rather than detracting from higher education’s efforts to define and measure critical thinking skills, the humanities can and should be front and center. Our own experience at Books@Work tells us that this is not only possible but powerful.
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We often think about libraries as places for quiet studying, a home for books, not people. A service provider that allows us to borrow materials. But Ferguson’s library is proving that libraries are so much more than that; they are community institutions that use books to help residents explore their own realities and those of their neighbors, institutions that build and support community development.
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As the first in a series of posts on books that have made a difference in our lives, our Academic Director reflects on three books for which she is profoundly grateful this Thanksgiving – books that got her thinking in new ways. What books are you thankful for this Thanksgiving?
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Hearing isn’t the same as listening, but it is a start. Mastering the art of listening can help produce better comprehension and understanding for individuals, and civility and informed dialogue for society as a whole. Alongside K-12 institutions, higher education, workplaces and lifelong learning programs have an important role to play in articulating the value of listening, and in shaping how it is taught.
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What if the institution of higher education itself – rather than the students who shame it to act – becomes a powerful voice for social change? We consider this question on the twenty-fifth anniversary of the assassination of university leaders at the Universidad Centroamericana (UCA) in El Salvador.
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Again and again, at Books@Work we hear from employers that Daniel Goleman’s concept of Emotional Intelligence (EI) is important for creating a positive workplace culture and improving companies’ bottom lines. We also hear that Books@Work can be one part of a toolkit to improving EI among employees. Given a current controversy over the value of EI, we consider the various impacts of EI in the workplace, and the potential for companies to help employees improve EI.
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